Download COMPRO COMPROFM User`s guide

ComproFM2 User's Guide
Compro Technology, Inc.
www.comprousa.com
Copyright © 2001-2004. Compro Technology, Inc. No part of this
document may be copied or reproduced in any form or by any means
without the prior written consent of Compro Technology, Inc.
Compro, VideoMate, Poladyne, Play with Power, and the Compro
logo are trademarks of Compro Technology, Inc. Other names and
marks are trademarks of their respective owners.
COMPRO makes no warranties with respect to this documentation
and disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability, quality, or
fitness for any particular purpose. The information in this document is
subject to change without notice. COMPRO reserves the right to
make revisions to this publication without obligation to notify any
person or entity of any such changes.
Compro Technology, Inc.
Tel. +886 2 2918 0169, Fax +886 2 2912 1465
3/F, No.12, Alley 6, Lane 45, Pao Shin Road
Hsintein City, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
www.comprousa.com
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1 Introduction ................................................................ 1
Key Features................................................................ 2
Installation .................................................................... 3
Updates........................................................................ 3
Remove software ......................................................... 3
2 Remote Control .......................................................... 4
Definitions and Usage .................................................. 4
3 ComproFM User Interface ......................................... 8
Control Panel ............................................................... 8
Configuration.............................................................. 11
Station Options ...................................................... 11
Recording Options................................................. 16
System Devices Options ....................................... 18
4 Using ComproFM ..................................................... 21
Listening..................................................................... 21
Recording................................................................... 21
Playback .................................................................... 22
Browse the Compro Web Site ............................... 24
5 Troubleshooting....................................................... 31
Driver Installation................................................... 31
Error Code: 0x1000006 ......................................... 32
No Audio................................................................ 34
Contacting Compro Technical Support .................. 34
i
Introduction
1.
Introduction
ComproFM lets you enjoy FM radio programs on your PC.
Listen to music or other programs while you work or
browse the Internet. All this, with the industry's first
universal remote control.
You can also record your favorite programs to MP3, WMA,
and WAV formats for later playback. You can later
download these recordings to your MP3 player
(purchased separately) for listening on the go.
1
Introduction
Key Features
z Listen to and record live FM programs.
z Powerful and easy to use scheduled recording function.
z Easy-to-use, familiar user interface.
z Deluxe, ergonomic, multi-function IR remote control.
z Capture audio and encode to WAV, WMA or MP3
formats.
z My favorite stations — Sort and rearrange station
order.
z Easy to install.
z Stereo and mono support.
z Auto tune for best sound quality frequencies.
2
Introduction
Installation
ComproFM is usually automatically installed while you
install the VideoMate TV drivers. Follow the instructions of
the software installer.
You can also manually install it by inserting the installation
CD. Choose “Exit” or “Cancel” when the installation
program starts. Open Explorer, double-click on the
“setup.exe” in the folder named ComproFM. ComproFM
will be installed right away.
Updates
User satisfaction is the first priority for Compro Technology.
Your opinion is crucial in improving our products.
Therefore, Compro Technology is continuously improving
our products. You can download the latest version of
ComproFM from our website at
http://www.comprousa.com/download
After downloading the patch files of ComproFM, just
double-click the update file. It will automatically start the
installation program.
Remove software
You can remove ComproFM through “Add/Remove
Programs” in Control Panel. Select the ComproFM entry
and click on the "Remove" button. ComproFM will be
removed from your computer.
3
Remote Control
2.
Remote Control
Definitions and Usage
Remote control keypad lets you control the ComproFM
application with a familiar, user-friendly interface.
The next two pages describe how to use the remote
control to operate ComproFM.
Note
The Compro remote control cannot be reprogrammed to
control other appliances such as your VCR or satellite
decoder box.
4
Remote Control
5
Remote Control
Key Number
ComproFM Function
0-9
Pre-set stations
10
Mute
11
Minimize/Maximize
12
Start/Stop ComproDVD (if available)
13
Start/Stop ComproFM
14
Start/Stop ComproPVR (if available)
15
Rewind
16
Play/Pause during playback
17
Forward
18
Jump to last station
19
Stop
20
Not used
21
Open on-line help file
22
Open properties setup dialog box
23
Up Arrow
24
Scan Down
25
Down Arrow
26
Scan Up
27
Volume Adjustment
28
Open play list
29
Station Up
30
Station Down
31
Record
32
Not used
33
Not used
34
Enter Frequency
35
Sleep Function
Note
FM function is only available with supported hardware.
6
Remote Control
7
ComproFM User Interface
3.
ComproFM User Interface
Control Panel
The ComproFM control panel resembles the controls on a
radio. Keep in mind that not all options are available at all
times, and may be grayed out or inaccessible depending
on your hardware setup and FM services available. The
following pages describe the ComproFM control panel
functions and usage tips.
8
ComproFM User Interface
ICON
Keyboard
Shortcut
Ctrl-A
Description
Always on top
F1
Online Help System - Open HTML help
file
Z
Minimize ComproFM
Ctrl-W
Page Up
Page Down
Exit ComproFM
Station Up - Jump up to next pre-set
station
Station Down - Jump down to next
pre-set station
N
Last station - Jump back to last selected
station
R
Record - Start recording FM audio
program to system
Right Arrow
Key
Station searching / Forward when
playing audio files
Left Arrow
Key
Station searching / Backward when
playing audio files
Space Bar
Pause - Suspend playback
O
Stop - Stop current action, e.g.,
recording, playback, Timeshifting.
Space Bar
Play - Begin playback of recorded
program
K
Enter frequencies button
9
ComproFM User Interface
ICON
Keyboard
Shortcut
Description
S
Properties - Open FM radio properties
window
B
Schedule Recording setup.
+/-
Ctrl-S
Volume Control - Increase or decrease
sound intensity. Drag your mouse over
this icon to change the audio volume.
Stereo/Mono switch
M
Mute - Press to mute or restore sound
I
About window - Shows ComproFM radio
version and copyright information
W
Show/Hide number pad
Number
keypad
Select pre-set stations
n/a
L
Sleep function
n/a
E
Open a browser window and go to the
Compro web site.
10
ComproFM User Interface
Configuration
Use the ComproFM options menus to control how
ComproFM looks and functions. Click the Options
button to open the Options dialog box. The Options dialog
box is composed of tabbed pages, each with its own group
of feature-specific settings.
Station Options
Follow these steps to setup and customize your station
list.
11
ComproFM User Interface
Autoscan
The first time you start ComproFM, Autoscan will
automatically search for all available FM stations.
1. The number of scanned stations varies according to
the quality of reception and your country settings.
2. You can interrupt the scanning process by pressing
the Stop button.
3. When Autoscan is finished, detected stations are
automatically enabled and marked with a check mark.
Stations, where a valid signal could not be
detected, are disabled and marked with a blank.
After you are finished scanning for available stations, you
may select OK to return to the display window, or
customize the station list according to your preferences,
as described below.
You can rescan later by pressing the Autoscan button.
Naming Stations
You can customize the station names by following these
steps.
Step1. Double-click on the Description field of the station
you wish to rename.
Step2. Type a new name in the text box.
Step3. Repeat steps 1 through 2 for any other stations
you wish to rename.
Step4. Click OK to confirm your changes.
Set Mem+
During the Autoscan process, ComproFM automatically
detects and enables stations with valid content. By default,
every available station will be enabled and marked with
12
ComproFM User Interface
You can shorten the list of enabled stations
the icon.
to reduce station-browsing time disabling stations from the
station list by clicking on the
icon. You can re-enable
stations by clicking on the Mem+ field again.
Disabled stations will not be played when you use the
Station Up and Down buttons.
Random Access
Press Random Access button, you will see the popup
window to enter the frequency of the radio station you
wish to listen to. You can store the station to the station
field by pressing Store button.
Pre-set Stations
You can assign up to ten of your favorite stations to the
number pad keys by following these steps.
Step1. Click on the Pre-set No field of the station you
wish to pre-set.
Step2. Choose the number you wish to use in the number
box.
Step3. Repeat steps 1 through 2 for any other stations
you wish to rename.
13
ComproFM User Interface
Click OK to confirm your changes.
You can then select your favorite stations by press the
number key.
Note:
There are ten numbers you can use, from 0 to 9.
The number box only shows the available numbers. If you
wish to reassign a pre-set, choose the number you wish to
use in the number box again.
You can select the number again to undo the change?.
14
ComproFM User Interface
Fine Tuning
ComproFM includes a fine-tuning feature. Check the box
labeled, "Fine Tune." if you like to do so.
Fine-tuning is normally not necessary.
Sleep mode
You can enable this mode to automatically shutdown the
system after 30 minutes, 1 hour, or 2 hours.
15
ComproFM User Interface
Recording Options
Recorded Programs Folder
Click on the
button to set the directory where
recorded programs are stored. Check that you have ample
disk space to store recorded programs.
Recording Format
Here you can select the audio format of recorded
programs. ComproFM includes useful quality pre-sets,
from MP3, WMA, and WAV format.
16
ComproFM User Interface
Recording Quality
Choose between 8.000 KHz to 44.100 KHz sampling rate
for your audio quality. For example, select 44.100 KHz if
you want CD quality.
Note:
You must install Microsoft Windows? Media Encoder 9 in
order to record to WMA or MP3 formats.
Microsoft Media Encoder 9 is included in the FM
installation CD and will be installed automatically. This
CODEC, however, only supports up to 56 Kbps audio bit
rate.
Skip
Set the amount of programming time skipped when you
press the Advance and Replay buttons during playback.
This is useful, for example, for skipping commercial
messages.
Recording Volume
Set the volume of recording files. Move the bar to the right
to increase the volume.
17
ComproFM User Interface
System Devices Options
Audio Device
Normally, the audio device is set to the name of your
sound card.
Note:
You must select the proper Audio devices for correct
operation.
If you cannot see the name of your sound card, the sound
card drivers are probably not correctly installed. Please
see Chapter 5, ”Troubleshooting.”
18
ComproFM User Interface
Audio Input
Choose the “AUX-In” if you are using an internal audio
patch cable connected to “AUX-In” of your sound card.
If you are using an external audio patch cable, you should
connect it to the “Line-In” port on your sound card.
Note:
If you cannot see the audio device on the field, the sound
card drivers are not properly installed. Please make sure
that your sound card works normally and reinstall the
sound drivers, if necessary.
Country/Region
Select the country or region you are located.
Note:
Choosing the wrong location may result in incorrect station
scanning.
Support
Before contacting Compro for technical support, please
check our FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) on our
website.
http://www.comprousa.com/support
If you click on the E-mail Info button, ComproFM will
attempt to e-mail this information to the Compro Technical
Support team. ([email protected]).
When you contact the Compro Support team about a
problem, please write enough details to help us determine
the problem. Please also provide the product serial
number (19 digits numbers) on the PCI TV tuner card.
19
ComproFM User Interface
Notes
Please check the troubleshooting chapter of this manual
for more information before contacting Compro for
support.
In order to solve the problem quickly, submitting the details
about your problem is crucial to understanding the
problem.
20
Using ComproFM
4.
Using ComproFM
Listening
ComproFM lets you easily listen to your favorite FM
programs. After autoscanning the stations, you are ready
to listen.
Station Browsing
When listening to FM, you can browse stations with the
Station Down
and Station Up
buttons to
scroll up and down through the available, enabled stations.
The Page Up and Page Dn keys on your keyboard can be
used instead.
Jump directly to the desired station by typing your
keyboard or remote control, the station preset number.
The Last Station
(recall) button jumps back to the
previously selected FM station.
Note
Some station numbers may not be available. Check the
Station Options section for more information on shortening
the list of enabled stations.
Recording
ComproFM is also a digital audio recorder. ComproFM
can record FM programming and save it to your hard disk.
ComproFM supports several encoding methods, letting
you choose between high quality and economical use of
21
Using ComproFM
disk space.
To instantly start recording:
1. Press the Record button
. ComproFM starts
recording the audio currently showing in the display
window. It will save it to a file on your disk.
2. Press the Stop button
to stop recording.
3. When you stop recording, ComproFM prompts you to
name the file containing the recorded audio. Enter the
name and press OK.
[Didn’t CopmroPVR users complain about being asked the
filename AFTER recoring was complete? I think it’s much
more natural and easier to name the file up front. Tell
Kevin Su that, if necessary, he can ask for the filename up
front and then rename at the end of the recording
session.]
To playback the recorded file, press the Play button and
select the file you wish to view.
Disk usage
The actual disk space used primarily depends on the
quality settings for recording. A higher quality setting, e.g.,
CD-quality, requires significantly more disk space than a
lower quality setting, such as MP3-quality.
Playback
ComproFM can playback recorded audio files.
Press the Play button to open the Play dialog box.
Highlight the file name in the program list, double-click or
press Play to start playback.
22
Using ComproFM
During playback, the display area of the control panel
provides information about currently playing program and
provides playback control functions.
To delete a recorded program, open the Play List dialog
box, by pressing ?? <how to open the dialog box?>,
highlight the file name on the program list, and press the
Delete button.
23
Using ComproFM
Scheduled Recording
ComproFM can be scheduled to record a FM program
later or remind you of an upcoming program. The
schedule can be set for a one-time or a recurring session.
You can repeatedly record any regularly scheduled
programming. Relax. Never miss your favorite shows.
Press the icon
to open the Schedule Recording
dialog box.
24
Using ComproFM
Scheduled Program Lists
Create: Create a new scheduled recording event.
Modify: Modify an existing recording event.
Delete: Delete an existing recording event.
Event Information: Shows details about your recording
schedule.
Scheduled Recording Settings
You can see the following after clicking Create.
Event Name: Type the event name. The saved recording
file will also use this name.
ComproFM will automatically create the Event Name and
file name. The Format button lets you select the file name
format.
25
Using ComproFM
Channel Number: Check this box to add station numbers
to the names of the recording files.
Start Date: Check this box to add the start date to the
names of the recording files.
Start Time: Check this box to add the start time to the
names of the recording files.
Power Up Scheduling feature
If your hardware supports Compro Power Up Scheduling,
ComproFM can wake your PC from the Shutdown
(ACPI:S5) state. What about S3 or S4?
Note
In order to enable scheduled recording from the Shutdown
state, the Power Up power switch circuit connections must
be properly connected.
Power Up Scheduling is only available with VideoMate TV
Gold, Gold Plus, and Ultra.
Enable automatic power function: Check this box if you
wish to use Power Up Scheduling function, i.e., wake up
the computer from Shutdown or Stand by states for
scheduled recording.
This option is available only if your hardware <which
26
Using ComproFM
hardware? VMTV card and PC?> supports Power Up
Scheduling.
Power Up will start your computer 5 minutes in advance of
the scheduled time. If you set schedule to 4 o’clock, Power
up will wake up your computer at 3:55. Therefore, you
need to shut down the computer before 3:54 in order to let
Power Up start the computer.
You may select from three possible actions to occur after
recording is complete:
z Shut down the system: After recording, shut down the
system.
z System stand by: After recording, put computer in
stand by mode.
z Keep system power on: After recording, do not
shutdown system.
Enable automatic logon: When using Power Up
Scheduling, ComproFM will start Windows. If Windows
requires you to enter a username and password during
start up, you should check this box and enter the required
information.
This option will be grayed out if your hardware doesn’t
support Power Up Scheduling.
If “Enable automatic logon” is checked, you will see a
popup window.
27
Using ComproFM
There are three fields in the Automatic Logon window.
z User: ComproFM will detect your current user name
automatically. Unless you wish to logon by a different
user, there is no need to change it.
z Password: Type in your password.
z Domain: ComproFM will automatically detect your
Windows Domain name, if any. In most home PCs, this
field will be blank and need not be changed. (See Note
below). Do not modify this field unless you need to
logon to a different Windows Domain during the Power
Up process.
Press the OK button to proceed.
Notes
Enabling the automatic logon function is only necessary
when you need to type user name and password to logon
to Windows.
The Windows Domain name is not the Internet domain
name that you may be familiar with, e.g., Yahoo.com.
Windows Domains usually only exist in business networks.
For most users, this field should be left blank.
Your password will be stored on your computer. There is a
chance that your password could be discovered by
another user
The ComproFM does not use the logon information for
any other purpose.
Recording Settings
Schedule mode: There are two ways to set the schedule.
z Recording: At the set time, ComproFM starts
recording the program.
z Reminder: At the set time, ComproFM starts showing
the program without recording it.
Station: Select the station you want to record.
28
Using ComproFM
Audio mode: Select the audio mode you want to record.
Mute speakers while recording: Check this box to mute
speakers while recording. This feature is useful if the
program is to be recorded while you are asleep.
Quality Settings
Format: Here you can select the audio format of recorded
programs. ComproFM includes useful quality pre-sets,
from MP3, WMA, and WAV format.
Choose between 8.000 KHz to 44.100 KHz sampling rate
for your audio quality. For example, select 44.100 KHz if
you want CD quality <repeated below?>
Quality: Choose between 8.000 KHz to 44.100 KHz
sampling rate for your audio quality. For example, select
44.100 KHz if you want CD quality.
Date/Time Settings
Once: Select this to record this program once.
Repeat: Select this to record this program repeatedly. You
can select any kind of combination in a week to record the
programs repeatedly. You can press Weekday or Daily
button to select multiple days. Press Clear to uncheck the
boxes.
Date/Start Date: Select the date you want to record the
program or the start date for repeat scheduling.
Start time: Select the starting time for recording.
Duration: Amount of programming to be recorded.
OK: Click it to add this schedule.
29
Using ComproFM
30
Troubleshooting
5.
Troubleshooting
Driver Installation
The most common cause of problems with the TV Tuner
Card is incorrect installation of the TV capture and TV
tuner drivers (also called WDM drivers). If you have
problems watching, recording, or timeshifting live TV,
please check the status of the WDM drivers with Device
Manager.
You should see both "VideoMate TV Capture" and
"VideoMate TV Tuner" drivers, in the "Sound, video and
game controllers" section of Windows Device Manager.
If these drivers are not there, please uninstall and reinstall
the VideoMate TV drivers. Use the Add/Remove
Programs Control Panel applet to uninstall the drivers.
Reinstalling the drivers should fix this problem.
[I’ve recently learned that many people are unfamiliar with
the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel applet. Please
31
Troubleshooting
add a figure of it here, with the Compro drivers entry.
These days, most software install the Uninstall item in the
Start Menu, so people rarely use the Add/Remove
Programs Control Panel Applet. Also add it to the support
web site.]
Error Code: 0x1000006
This error code generally indicates a WDM driver
installation problem. Please uninstall and reinstall the
WDM drivers, as described above.
If the problem persists, the cause could be an IRQ conflict.
IRQ conflicts happen when other devices, e.g., network
card or sound card, in your computer share the same IRQ
with your TV tuner card.
Use Device Manager to detect IRQ conflicts. In Device
Manager, choose "View->Resource by type" and click on
the "+" besides Interrupt request (IRQ). Please see the
figure below.
32
Troubleshooting
For best performance, no other device should share an
IRQ with the VideoMate TV card.
If another device shares an IRQ with the TV tuner card,
remove other PCI cards from your PC and insert TV card
on another slot. Then uninstall and reinstall the TV card
driver. This usually solves the problem. If the problem
persists, try moving the PCI TV Tuner card to another PCI
slot.
After you can successfully use ComproFM, install the
other PCI devices one at a time. Restart your system and
test ComproFM after installing each card.
Note
Note the IRQ numbers of networking, sound, and SCSI
cards. They should not share an IRQ with the VideoMate
TV tuner card.
33
Troubleshooting
No Audio
Check that the sound is not muted or low volume in the
Windows Volume Control dialog. (Double-click on the
speaker icon in the system tray.)
Verify that the external audio patch cable is connected
between the Audio-Out of TV tuner card and Line IN of
your sound card if you select the audio source to “Line-In”.
Or the inner audio patch cable is connected between the
inner Audio-Out of TV tuner card and AUX of your sound
card if you select the audio source to “AUX”. You can
verify the connection refer to the Hardware Installation.
Also, if you have Norton AntiVirus running, please
uncheck the Instant Messenger protection in the Internet
in options.
No audio on the recorded file
This may be a result of choosing the wrong record audio
source in the System Device in ComproFM Settings.
If you are using an external audio patch cable, verify that
it is connected between the Audio-Out of TV tuner card
and Line-In of your sound card and that you selected the
audio source to be “Line-In.” If using the internal audio
patch cable, check that it is connected between the
internal Audio-Out of the TV tuner card and AUX-In of your
sound card and that you selected the audio source to
“AUX.”
Check the ComproFM in the Record tab of Settings dialog
for recording volume levels that is not too low.
Poor FM reception
Poor FM reception is usually the result of interference or
weaksignal. Please try using another FM radio in the
34
Troubleshooting
same location to test if the reception is OK. Make sure that
you connect the FM antenna tightly and try repositioning
the antenna for optimum reception.
Why isn’t the MP3 128Kbits format available
ComproFM uses Microsoft Media Encoder 9 to be the
encoder. However, Microsoft Media Encoder 9 can only
support 56Kbits audio bit rates. Therefore, the 128Kbits
audio bit rates of MP3 is not available.
Contacting Compro Technical Support
Before you submit an email for support, you should check
our FAQs. Please see http://www.comprousa.com/support
When contacting Compro for technical support, please
use the Compro support request form and provide as
much of the requested information as possible. Please
write the details in order to determine the problem. And
also provide the product serial number (19 digits numbers)
on the PCI card. Please use the form from below.
http://comprousa.com/support/form.htm
Notes
Providing the product serial number is crucial to verify the
exactly product you own for evaluating the problem.
In order to solve the problem quickly, submit the details
about your problem are very important for support. We
need the information to understand the problem.
35